As much as Manchester United are looking forward to signing a creative midfielder, they are also interested in keeping the current star performers. Michael Carrick has been one of the best players for United in recent years. He signed a three-year deal with the club back in 2011, which is close to coming to an end. Talks have been ongoing about extending the deal and it seems that they have reached a conclusion with the midfielder agreeing a two-and-a-half year extension.

According to the Daily Mail, Carrick has agreed to receive no pay rise as part of this new deal. He is one of the average earners – with a salary of £3.5 million per year – within the squad. It seems that the deal would also include an additional 12 months as an option.

The news would come at a good time for United, as they are set to be without the 32-year-old for the next couple of weeks. He suffered an Achilles injury, which aggravated during the 1-0 win over Arsenal, just before the international break. United reported that he could possibly miss the rest of the year due to this injury.

Carrick only recently expressed his desire to continue playing for the club. He said:

"I'd love to carry on playing as long as possible at this club.

"It's a fantastic club and I've had great times here. I feel good at the moment. I've just turned 32, so I've got a bit of time yet."

Carrick has been one of the unsung heroes in the United squad. His workload and the pressure on his shoulders have increased following the retirement of Paul Scholes. A signing like Andres Iniesta or Cesc Fabregas will help take some weight off those experienced shoulders.

United have been linked with a move for Iniesta, who has so far failed to reach an agreement over his new contract at Barcelona, along with a few other creative midfielders like Luka Modric. Iniesta has just over 18 months left on his contract.